Road clearing and material spreading apparatus



Dec. 15, 1964 P. E. BOYER ETAL 3,160,964

ROAD CLEARING AND MATERIAL SPREADING APPARATUS Filed July 27, 1962 2 Sheets-Sheet l PAUL E.BOYE WALTER 0. MANSFIELD FERRELL E.CRAWFORD JAMES H. LANIER INVENTORS Dec. 15, 1964 P. E. BOYER ETAL I 3,160,964

ROAD CLEARING AND MATERIAL SPREADING APPARATUS Filed July 27, 1962 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTORS PAUL E.BOYER WALTER O. MANSFIELD FERRELL E. CRAWFORD JAMES H.LANIER ATTORNEY United s Patent This invention relates to material spreading equipment, and more particularly to improved apparatus suitable for road clearing and spreading particulate material such as salt and grit.

Clearing roads of snow and ice, and treating of the surface to improve traction is usually accomplished by the use of snow plows and by spreading salt and/or grit over the road surface. Heretofore the spreading of the grit and salt has been accomplished either by hand shovel or by spreader means located atthe rear of a truck and driven by a small gasoline engine, the spreader means comprising a screw-like agitator within the truck body for causing the salt or gritto fall by gravity through a variable orifice and onto a spinning distributor disk which throws the salt or grit over the roadway. The variable orifice oiferssome control over the quantity or density of material application, but because of the varying influence of gravity with truck body tilt, and because of difierent flow characteristics of-ditferent particulate materials and varying flow chara'cteristics within a load of a given material such prior art devices have resulted at times in uneconomical use of the salt, grit, or other material by applying too dense a coverage, and at other times have Wasted time, effort and material by applying too little material to be of value. In short, known prior art spreaders have lacked flexibility and preciseness of control.

With the foregoing in mind, it is one important object of this invention to provide, in a highway vehicle, an improved particulate material spreading apparatus having a rotating distributor disk and means for feeding particulate material from the body of the truck onto the distributor disk in a positively controlled manner so that the density of application is not influenced by degree of truck body tilt, variations in material particle size, or variations in the ability of the material to flow.

It is another object of this invention to provide an improved spreading apparatus of the foregoing character comprising a feed screw having a portion disposed within the material in the truck body and having one end extending into, and rotatable in a fixed metering throat so that upon each revolution of the screw a predetermined volume of particulate material will be advanced by the pitch of the screw and discharged from the throat onto a distributor disk.

It is another important object of this invention to provide salt and grit spreading apparatus having independent hydraulic motors for rotating the throwing disk and the, feed screw, and comprising an hydraulic fluid control system including means for independently adjusting the rate of disk rotation and the rate of feed screw rotation, whereby the width of the spread path and the density of coverage may be varied without recourse to uncertain mechanical deflectors, variable orifices, and the like.

Another object of this invention is the provision of salt and grit spreading apparatus of the foregoing character comprising means for efiecting on-off control of 'ice the disk and feed means without otherwise disturbing the rate adjustments thereof.

As another object, this invention aims to provide an integrated hydraulic system for driving a throwing disk and feed screw, and for positioning a snow plow and truck tilt bed by hydraulic motor means controlled from a single control console, and operated from a single hydraulic pump preferably driven by the truck engine, the system including adjustable rate of flow regulators connected in series with the disk and screw operating motors, two-way valve means for positional control of the plow and tilt motor means, and a manually operable by-pass valve for effecting on-off control of the disk and screw operating motors without changing adjustment of the rate of flow regulators.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following detailed description of a preferred embodiment thereof, reference being had to the accompanying sheets of drawings forming a part of this specification, and in which:

FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of a road clearing and material spreading truck embodying the present invention;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged elevational'view of the truck as viewed along line 2-2 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary sectional view taken along line 3--3 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary side view of the material spreading means of the apparatus as viewed along line i-4 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary side view of the material feeding portion of the apparatus as viewed along line 55 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 6 is a schematic illustration of the control system of this invention;

FIG. 7 is a fragmentary plan view of a control console as viewed along line 7--7 of FIG. 1.

In the form of the invention shown in the drawings, and referring to FIG. 1, there is provided an engine driven truck 19 having a body ll. which is adapted to carry a quantity of particulate material such as salt, or grit in the form of sand, cinders, or the like, and which body is tiltabie by an hydraulic cylinder 12 connected between the body 11 and the truck frame 13. Supported on the tail gate 14 of a truck body 11 is a particulate material spreader device, generally indicated at 15, which is adapted to cast the particulate material over a predetermined area to melt snow and ice or improve traction of the road surface. The spreader device 15 will be described more fully as the description proceeds.

On the front of the truck is mounted a snow plow 20 which is adapted to be operated between lowered and raised positions by an hydraulic cylinder 21. The operations of the spreader device, tilting of the truck body 11, and positioning of the snow plow 2d are controlled by manipulation of control handles on a console 22 which is within reach of the truck operator when he is in the drivers seat 23.

Referring more particularly to FIGS. 2 through 5, the material spreading portion 15 of the apparatus comprises an outwardly curved panel 14a which, together with end panels 14b and Me, form a pocket across the tail gate portion 14 of the truck. Disposed within the curved portion of panel 14a is a transverse auger-like feed screw 30 having a shaft portion 39a, the ends of which are j'ournaled in bearing means 31 and 32 mounted on panel and a bracket 33, respectively. The left hand portion of feed screw 30, as viewed in FIG. 3, extends through 3 a discharge throat 35 extending from side panel 141) and opening into a funnel 36. The screw 39 and throat 55 cooperate to form a metering means which provides positive control of discharge quantities. For each revolution of the screw, one pitch volume of material is carried through the throat and discharged into the funnel or chute. As seen in FIG. 3, the diameter of the screw threads along the portion of the screw more remote from the throat 35 is substantially less than the diameter of the portion of the screw threads adjacent to and extending into the throat 35 so that the larger diameter threads are effective to remove particulate material laterally from the area in which they are disposed so that a substantially uniform removal of material throughout the width of the tailgate pocket is effected thereby avoiding heaving or piling up of material at the throat; furthermore, unproductive agitation of material by the screw is avoided. The lower end of funnel 36 is centrally located over a rotatable distributor disk 3'7 having upstanding radial vanes 58 and mounted for rotation about its central axis on the vertical shaft 39 of an hydraulic motor 40. The hydraulic motor 41), which is preferably a conventional gear type motor, and disk 37 are supported at the lower ends of a pair of swing arms 41 and 42 which are pivoted at their upper ends for swinging movement about the axis of the feed screw 30. This feature permits the axis of the distributor shaft to be held in a vertical position by gravity insuring proper distribution of material irrespective oftilt position of the dump body.

The feed screw 35) is adapted to be rotated to move particulate material from the right to the left as viewed in FIG. 3 through the discharge throat 35 and funnel 36 onto the rotating disk 37, so as to be thrown by the radially extending vanes 38 over a Wide area of the street surface. The rotation of feed screw 36 is effected by an hydraulic drive motor 45 which is mounted on an extension 46 secured to panel 140. Motor 45 is preferably an eccentric vane type motor and has a shaft 47 extending into a transmission housing 48. Shaft 47 is drivingly connected to the right hand end of feed screw shaft 35a by chain and sprocket speed reducing means including a sprocket 49 on the feed screw shaft, and intermediate or idler sprocket means t carried on a lay shaft 51.

The hydraulic cylinders 12 and 21 for tilting the truck body and lifting the snow plow 29, and the hydraulic motors 4t) and 45 for operating the distributor disk 37 and feed screw 30, all form part of an hydraulic fluid system 55, schematically illustrated in FIG. 6. The system 55 comprises an hydraulic fluid reservoir 56 having an outlet line 57 connected to the intake side of an hydraulic pump 58 which is conveniently driven by power take-off means from the transmission or the engine of the truck 10. The pump 58 discharges into a high pressure line 59, the maximum fluid pressure in which is determined by a pressure relief valve 66 which is a builtin part of console 22 and which is connected by lines 61 and 62 between the high pressure line 59 and an hydraulic fluid return line 63 connected to the reservoir 56. In the present example the pressure relief valve 60 is set to open at a pressure of approximately 1,600 pounds per square inch. The high pressure line 5% is connected to the inlet side or" a manually adjustable flow regulating valve 65 having a rotatable handle or knob 66 for adjusting the volume of hydraulic fluid flow which the valve will pass to an outlet line 67. In the present example valve 65 is adjustable to permit the fluid to flow at a rate within the range of 0 to 4 gallons per minute. The balance of the hydraulic fluid is passed at the full pressure of line 59 through a second outlet line 68 directly to the inlet side of a second manually adjustable flow regulating valve 69. The outlet line 67 from valve 65 is connected to the inlet side of the distributor disk driving motor 49, and it will be recognized that the rate of hydraulic fluid flow, and hence the speed of motor 40 and distributor disk 37, may be regulated by adjustment of the control knob 66. The outside of motor 4% is connected to an hydraulic fluid return line 70 which is connected to the return line 63 of reservoir 56.

The second fluid flow regulating valve 69 comprises a manually adjustable knob 73 which is adapted to be adjusted to pass hydraulic fluid to a first outlet line 74 at a rate within the range of 0 to 15 gallons per minute. The balance of the hydraulic fluid coming from line 58 is passed at the full pressure of lines 59, 68 through a second outlet line 75 which leads to the inlet of a normally fixed, fluid flow regulating valve 76. The outlet line '74 is connected to the inlet side of the feed screw drive motor 45, and it will be recognized that the speed of operation of motor 45 and of feed screw 30 may be regulated by adjustment of the knob 73. The outlet side of hydraulic motor 45 is connected by a line 77 to the hydraulic fluid return line '70.

The fixed flow regulating valve 76 passes hydraulic fluid to a first outlet line 84} at a rate of about 2 gallons per minute to the inlet side of a first three-way control valve 84-, while the balance of the hydraulic fluid is passed at substantially the full pressure of line 75 through a second outlet line 81 to the inlet side of a second three-way hydraulic control valve 85. Control valve 84 has a control or operating handle 86 which is movable in opposite directions from the neutral position illustrated in FIG. 6. When handle 86 is in its neutral position hydraulic fluid flow from line is bled through an outlet line 87 to an hydraulic fluid return line 88 which is connected to the reservoir return line 63 through a suitable filter 89. When the handle is moved in one direction, the hydraulic fluid is diverted through a line 90 to the single acting hydraulic cylinder 21, causing the latter to extend and raise the snow plow 26. Returning handle 86 to its neutral position once again directs hydraulic fluid coming from line 80 to outlet line 87, while closing off line 90 to prevent movement of the hydraulic cylinder 21 in either direction. Movement of handle 86 in the opposite position from the neutral position serves to connect line 90 with outlet line 87, thereby permitting hydraulic fluid within cylinder 21 to pass to fluid return line 88 to effect lowering of the snow plow 26.

The second three position control valve is substantially like control valve 84- and has a control handle 91 which, when in its illustrated neutral position, connects line 81 with an outlet line 52 leading to fluid return line 88. When operating handle 91 is moved in one direction, line 81 is connected to a line 93 leading to the single acting truck body tilting hydraulic cylinder 12 for raising of the truck body, and when the handle is returned to the neutral position, line 93 is shut off so as to trap hydraulic fluid in the cylinder 12. When the handle 91 is moved in the opposite direction, line 93 is connected through line 92 to the fluid return line 88 to permit lowering of the truck body.

Adjustment of valve control knob 66 to vary the speed of motor 49 and distributor disk 37, permits selection of the range or distance which the disk 37 will throw the particulate material, such as salt or grit, fed thereto through the funnel 36. This adjustment is therefore usually related to the width of the road which is to be treated. The use of knob 73 of valve 59 to regulate the speed of motor 45 and feed screw 3% permits the selection of the rate at which the particulate material will be fed to the distributing disk 37, and hence controls the density with which the material will be applied to the road surface. The normally fixed regulating valve 76 limits the rate at which the snow plow 2t; may be raised.

In order to permit stopping of the feed screw 30 and of the distributing disk 37, for example at intersections, when passing parked cars, or when traflic is halted, and also in order to de-energize the system in the case of the truck engine driven pump, when no hydraulic operation is required, the system 55 is provided with a manually operated two position by-pass valve 55 which is connected between pressure line 59 and return line 88 by lines 96 and 97. Valve 95 has an operating handle 98 which may be moved between positions for closing and opening the valve so as to respectively start or stop the operation of hydraulic motors 40 and 45. a p

All of the manually operated control valves or handles 56, '73, 86, 91, and 98 are mounted on the control console 22 in a convenient position for the driver of the vehicle.

From the foregoing detailed description of a presently preferred embodiment of this invention, it will be recognized that there has been provided thereby an improved road clearing and particulate material distributing apparatus having a novel hydraulic control system which permits full control and regulation of all of the components of the apparatus from the operators station. It will also be recognized that the novel control system of this invention overcomes the previously mentioned disadvantages of priorart road clearing and particulate material spreading apparatus and provides additional advantages in that it permits the operation of the material distributing portion of the apparatus to be turned on and 01f without disturbing the settings for the pattern and density of the spread, and yet permits ready adjustments of the width of spread and density of application from the drivers seat during operation.

Apparatus embodying this invention may be used for spreading other materials, for example fertilizer, insecticides, and the like without departing from the spirit of the invention. Accordingly, although the present invention has been described in considerable detail and with reference to a specific road clearing and particulate material spreading apparatus embodying the invention, it will be understood that the invention is not limited thereto, but rather the invention includes all those modifications, adaptations, substitutions, and uses as are reasonably embraced by the scope of the claims hereof.

Having thus described our invention we claim:

1. In combination with a vehicle having an engine, an operators station, an hydraulic power system including a fluid reservoir, and a tiltable material storage section, material spreading apparatus comprising:

(a) a rotatable disk,

(b) a feed screw for feeding particulate material from a storage area onto said disk,

(c) a first hydraulic motor connected in said hydraulic system for driving said feed screw,

(d) a second hydraulic motor connected in said hydraulic system for driving said disk,

(2) a third hydraulic motor connected in said hydraulic system for tilting said storage section of the vehicle,

(f) an hydraulic pump in said hydraulic system adapted to be driven by said engine,

(g) a first fluid flow regulating valve connected between the outlet side of said pump and said first motor,

(h) a second fluid flow regulating valve connected between the outlet side of said pump and said second motor, I

(i) a third fluid flow regulating valve connected between the outlet side of said pump and the inlet of a three-way valve having a first outlet connected to said third motor, and a second outlet connected to said reservoir,

(i) said three-way valve having an operating handle and being operable to direct fluid into said third motor, out of said motor, and for preventing flow into or out of said third motor.

2. In combination with a vehicle having an engine, an operator station, an hydraulic power system including a fluid reservoir, a tiltable material storage section, and a snow plow mounted on said vehicle, material spreading apparatus comprising:

(a) a rotatable disc,

(b) a feed screw for feeding particulate material from a storage area onto said disc,

(c) a first hydraulic motor in said hydraulic system for driving said feed screw,

(d) a second hydraulic motor in said hydraulic system for driving said disc,

(e) a third hydraulic motor in said hydraulic system for tilting said storage section of said vehicle,

(f) a fourth hydraulic motor in said hydraulic system for raising and lowering said plow,

(g) an hydraulic pump adapted to be driven. by said engine,

(h) a first fluid flow regulating valve connected between the outlet side of said pump and said first motor, said first regulating valve being adjustable to select operating speed of said first motor,

(i) a second fluid flow regulating valve connected between the outlet side of said pump and said second motor, said second fluid flow regulating valve being adjustable to adjust the operating speed of said second motor,

(j) a third fluid flow regulating valve connected between the outlet side of said pump and the inlet of a three way valve having a first outlet connected to said third motor and a second outlet connected to said reservoir,

(k) said three way valve having an operating handle and being operable to direct fluid into said third motor, out of said motor, and for preventing flow into or out of said third motor,

and I (l) a second three way valve having an inlet connected to the outlet of said pump and having first and second outlets connected to said reservoir and said fourth motor respectively, said second three way valve having an operating handle having positions for directing fluid into and out of said fourth motor and for preventing flow of fluid into or out of said fourth motor.

3. In a particulate material spreading apparatus for a dump truck vehicle having a rearwardly tiltable material carrying body including a tailgate forming the discharge end wall of the body, said tailgate having a downwardly and rearwardly sloping wall terminating in a generally semicylindrical pocket extending across the lower transverse portion thereof for receiving particulate material from said body, said pocket having end walls in planes extending rearwardly of said body, a screw in said pocket extending transversely of said tailgate, bearing means on said tailgate adjacent opposite ends thereof for rctatably supporting said screw, an hydraulic motor supported on said tailgate at one end thereof and drivingly connected to one end of said screw for rotating said screw, a tubular discharge throat on said tailgate for receiving the end portion of said screw opposite said one end thereof and having an inner end opening into an end of said pocket through one of said end walls and in alignment with the axis of said screw, a downwardly depending funnel adjacent to the outer end of said throat for receiving by gravity material discharged from said throat by said screw and having a downwardly directed discharge opening, a rotatable distributing disk beneath the discharge end of said funnel to receive material discharging from said funnel, an hydraulic motor beneath said disk for rotating the latter, means to pivotally support said disk and the last mentioned hydraulic motor for swinging about the axis of said screw whereby when said truck body is tilted to discharge materials into said pocket said disk remains in a substantially horizontal plane, and flexible tubular members connected with said motors for supplying hydraulic fluid thereto.

4. A particulate material spreading apparatus as defined in claim 3 in which the diameter of the threads on said screw increase appreciably in diameter toward said throat.

(References on following page) References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Moss Oct. 17, 1905 Covington Mar. 16, 1909 5 Chase et a1. Dec. 21, 1954 Schmidt July 16, 1957 Orloff et a1. Ian. 6, 1959 Van Gerpen June 30, 1959 Allen et al. June 30, 1959 DAmato Jan. 3, 1961 De Biasi Oct. 10, 1961 Swenson et a1 Nov. 28, 1961 Young Jan. 30, 1962 De Biasi Jan. 1, 1963 FOREIGN PATENTS Canada Mar. 10, 1953 

1. IN COMBINATION WITH A VEHICLE HAVING AN ENGINE, AN OPERATOR''S STATION, AN HYDRAULIC POWER SYSTEM INCLUDING A FLUID RESERVOIR, AND A TILTABLE MATERIAL STORAGE SECTION, MATERIAL SPREADING APPARATUS COMPRISING: (A) A ROTATABLE DISK, (B) A FEED SCREW FOR FEEDING PARTICULATE MATERIAL FROM A STORAGE AREA ONTO SAID DISK, (C) A FIRST HYDRAULIC MOTOR CONNECTED IN SAID HYDRAULIC SYSTEM FOR DRIVING SAID FEED SCREW, (D) A SECOND HYDRAULIC MOTOR CONNECTED IN SAID HYDRAULIC SYSTEM FOR DRIVING SAID DISK, (E) A THIRD HYDRAULIC MOTOR CONNECTED IN SAID HYDRAULIC SYSTEM FOR TILTING SAID STORAGE SECTION OF THE VEHICLE, (F) AN HYDRAULIC PUMP IN SAID HYDRAULIC SYSTEM ADAPTED TO BE DRIVEN BY SAID ENGINE, (G) A FIRST FLUID FLOW REGULATING VALVE CONNECTED BETWEEN THE OUTLET SIDE OF SAID PUMP AND SAID FIRST MOTOR, (H) A SECOND FLUID FLOW REGULATING VALVE CONNECTED BETWEEN THE OUTLET SIDE OF SAID PUMP AND SAID SECOND MOTOR, (I) A THIRD FLUID FLOW REGULATING VALVE CONNECTED BETWEEN THE OUTLET SIDE OF SAID PUMP AND THE INLET OF A THREE-WAY VALVE HAVING A FIRST OUTLET CONNECTED TO SAID THIRD MOTOR, AND A SECOND OUTLET CONNECTED TO SAID RESERVOIR, (J) SAID THREE-WAY VALVE HAVING AN OPERATING HANDLE AND BEING OPERABLE TO DIRECT FLUID INTO SAID THIRD MOTOR, OUT OF SAID MOTOR, AND FOR PREVENTING FLOW INTO OR OUT OF SAID THIRD MOTOR. 